OREM, Utah — Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and eventually agreed to surrender only if it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he arrived with his parents to turn himself last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.

“He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”

On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

Robinson also faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday where a judge said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

The Sept. 10 shooting that stunned the nation and exposed deep political divides also left the Utah Valley campus reeling. On Wednesday, students returning for the first day of classes since then gathered silently and stared at the barricaded courtyard where Kirk was hit while speaking to students.

Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus.

Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class even with sadness still in air.

“The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”

Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and classifying some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than work to bring people together.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.

The shooting at Utah Valley happened more than a three-hour from where Robinson grew up near St. George.

That’s why the sheriff in Washington County said he was stunned when a retired detective and a friend of the Robinson family called to say he knew the shooter’s identity and they were trying to convince him to come in voluntarily.

“I couldn’t fathom what actually came out of his mouth,” Brooksby said.

The sheriff said he was told that Robinson was possibly suicidal and in a remote area of the southwestern Utah county. An hour later, Robinson arrived at the sheriff’s office where he was greeted by plainclothes detectives.

“He knew it was inevitable that he would be caught,” said the sheriff. “If at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I’m going to make some concessions to make that happen.”

Investigators say that after Robinson fired the single fatal shot, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard for a note.

“I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” it said according to court documents.

After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson, asked if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”